The Bible Unearthed: The Making of a Religion

This episode brings back to life the history of the Israelite nation in Canaan as told in the Bible: Moses entrusted the conquest of Canaan to Joshua. During a lightning war, a confederation of Israelite tribes took possession of Canaan and settled there. The archeological investigation is at variance with this account. This episode then takes a closer look at Kings David and Solomon. What do we actually know about them? And what of the two Israelite kingdoms situated on the territory of Canaan: Israel to the north, rich and powerful, and Juda, to the south, small and poor. What role will the antagonism between these two 'friendly' kingdoms play in the writing of the Bible? What is the King of Juda, Josias's ambition after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel to the north? How does the death of Josias, a descendant of King David, bring about the emergence of the third "pillar" of Judaism: the Messianic idea?